Melissa McCarthy professes love for bruising stunts in 'Spy'

LONDON (Reuters) - Playing an improbable undercover agent, Melissa McCarthy got bruised and beaten up doing the stunts for her new action movie, “Spy,” and would gladly take more punishment.

“Weirdly I loved it, like I would sign up for another one in a minute,” the comic actress said on Wednesday at the film’s European premiere in London’s Leicester Square.

“I loved all the action, I loved the challenge.”

McCarthy’s character, CIA analyst Susan Cooper, gets into elaborate stunts and car chases after volunteering to go undercover to expose an arms dealer. It is not the glamorous gig she expects, requiring McCarthy to masquerade as a dowdy woman who loves cats.

McCarthy recalled that a real undercover agent told her this disguise was realistic, saying to the actress: “‘I don’t know about the cat shirts, but looking like a frumpy tourist was not far off.'” Her British co-stars Jude Law and Jason Statham praised McCarthy’s comedic scrapes.

“She’s probably the funniest thing there is in cinema today,” Statham said.

For her next role, McCarthy is gearing up for more stunts when filming begins for the all-female remake of 1980s comedy classic “Ghostbusters” alongside Kristen Wiig and “Spy” director Paul Feig. “I cannot wait,” said McCarthy. “And that’s with such a great group of ladies, that I am really excited about it.”

McCarthy, 44, began her career as a stand-up comedian performing with improv group the Groundlings. She then moved into television, starring in series such as “Gilmore Girls,” “Samantha Who?” and “Mike & Molly,” which earned her a 2011 Emmy award for lead actress in a comedy. Her 2011 supporting role in “Bridesmaids,” an acclaimed female-driven comedy, earned her an Oscar nomination.